One of the G-MAC's most dominant pitching staffs in the 2023 season continued to roll on Saturday, as the Hillsdale College softball team swept past host Kentucky Wesleyan 3-1 and 10-0 while giving up zero earned runs on the day.
Sophomore ace Joni Russell shone in Hillsdale's 3-1 victory in game one, striking out 15 batters, walking one and giving up five hits and one unearned run for her 13th win of the season.
The Chargers broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth, as Emma Vis took advantage of Emma Sather's leadoff single and steal of second base to drive her in on a ground-out for the go-ahead run. Two batters later, senior Jenna Cantalupo hit a double and junior McKenna Eichholz drove in an insurance run off that with a RBI single to left field.
Hillsdale had scored Sather in the top of the first inning on another groundout, as Wallner scored her from third to give the Chargers an early 1-0 lead, but Kentucky Wesleyan took advantage of a Hillsdale throwing error in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game on a RBI single.
Sather went 2 for 4 at the plate to lead the Chargers in the contest, and Hailey Holtman added a double.
In the nightcap, junior Erin Kapteyn pitched four shutout innings and struck out six of the 16 batters she faced to earn her ninth win of the season in a five-inning contest.
Freshman Mackenzi Maxson pitched a scoreless, hitless fifth inning to seal the run-rule victory for the Chargers, striking out one and walking one.
Hillsdale's bats had a big contest in the nightcap, as Vis and Cantalupo each had RBI singles in the top of the first inning to give hillsdale a 3-0 lead right away.
The Chargers added four runs in the top of the third to pull away. Freshman Anna Chellman hit a two-run single and freshman Katie Matzat chipped in a RBI single to help contribute.
Hannah Hoverman put Hillsdale up 9-0 and the game in run-rule territory with a two-run double in the top of the fourth inning, and Wallner finished the scoring with a RBI single in the top of the fifth.
Taylor Lewis went 2 for 2 with a double to lead the Chargers at the plate in the nightcap, and Holtman, Vis and Cantalupo each chipped in two hits as well.
With the victory, the Chargers improved to 25-16 overall, 11-3 in the G-MAC and remain tied for third in the G-MAC with Cedarville, behind 9-1 Ohio Dominican and 13-3 Trevecca Nazarene.
Hillsdale returns home for a critical midweek conference doubleheader on Tuesday, facing a dangerous Northwood team at 3 p.m. looking to keep pace with the other contenders for the G-MAC title race as we enter the stretch run of the regular season.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan